The Faerie Queene (71 page)

Till that at length nigh to the sea they drew;

By which as they did trauell on a day,

They saw before them, far as they could vew,

Full many people gathered in a crew;

Whose great assembly they did much admire,

For neuer there the like resort they knew.

So towardes them they coasted, to enquire

What thing so many nations met, did there desire.

30
There they beheld a mighty Gyant stand

Vpon a rocke, and holding forth on hie

An huge great paire of ballance in his hand,

With which he boasted in his surquedrie,

That all the world he would weigh equallie,

If ought he had the same to counterpoys.

For want whereof he weighed vanity,

And fild his ballaunce full of idle toys:

Yet was admired much of fooles, women, and boys.

31
He sayd that he would all the earth vptake,

And all the sea, deuided each from either:

So would he of the fire one ballaunce make,

And one of th'ayre, without or wind, or wether:

Then would he ballaunce heauen and hell together,

And all that did within them all containe;

Of all whose weight, he would not misse a fether.

And looke what surplus did of each remaine,

He would to his owne part restore the same againe.

32
For why, he sayd they all vnequall were,

And had encroched vppon others share,

Like as the sea (which plaine he shewed there)

Had worne the earth, so did the fire the aire,

So all the rest did others parts empaire.

And so were realmes and nations run awry.

All which he vndertooke for to repaire,

In sort as they were formed aunciently;

And all things would reduce vnto equality.

33
Therefore the vulgar did about him flocke,

And cluster thicke vnto his leasings vaine,

Like foolish flies about an hony crocke,

In hope by him great benefite to gaine,

And vncontrolled freedome to obtaine.

All which when
Artegall
did see, and heare,

How he mis-led the simple peoples traine,

In sdeignfull wize he drew vnto him neare,

And thus vnto him spake, without regard or feare.

34
Thou that presum'st to weigh the world anew,

And all things to an equall to restore,

In stead of right me seemes great wrong dost shew,

And far aboue thy forces pitch to sore.

For ere thou limit what is lesse or more

In euery thing, thou oughtest first to know,

What was the poyse of euery part of yore:

And looke then how much it doth ouerflow,

Or faile thereof, so much is more then iust to trow.

35
For at the first they all created were

In goodly measure, by their Makers might,

And weighed out in ballaunces so nere,

That not a dram was missing of their right,

The earth was in the middle centre pight,

In which it doth immoueable abide,

Hemd in with waters like a wall in sight;

And they with aire, that not a drop can slide:

Al which the heauens containe, & in their courses guide.

36
Such heauenly iustice doth among them raine,

That euery one doe know their certaine bound,

In which they doe these many yeares remaine,

And mongst them al no change hath yet beene found.

But if thou now shouldst weigh them new in pound,

We are not sure they would so long remaine:

All change is perillous, and all chaunce vnsound.

Therefore leaue off to weigh them all againe,

Till we may be assur'd they shall their course retaine.

37
Thou foolishe Elfe (said then the Gyant wroth)

Seest not, how badly all things present bee,

And each estate quite out of order goth?

The sea it selfe doest thou not plainely see

Encroch vppon the land there vnder thee;

And th'earth it selfe how daily it's increast,

By all that dying to it turned be.

Were it not good that wrong were then surceast,

And from the most, that some were giuen to the least?

38
Therefore I will throw downe these mountaines hie,

And make them leuell with the lowly plaine:

These towring rocks, which reach vnto the skie,

I will thrust downe into the deepest maine,

And as they were, them equalize againe.

Tyrants that make men subiect to their law,

I will suppresse, that they no more may raine;

And Lordings curbe, that commons ouer-aw;

And all the wealth of rich men to the poore will draw.

39
Of things vnseene how canst thou deeme aright,

Then answered the righteous
Artegall,

Sith thou misdeem'st so much of things in sight?

What though the sea with waues continuall

Doe eate the earth, it is no more at all:

Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought,

For whatsoeuer from one place doth fall,

Is with the tide vnto an other brought:

For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought

40
Likewise the earth is not augmented more,

By all that dying into it doe fade.

For of the earth they formed were of yore,

How euer gay their blossome or their blade

Doe flourish now, they into dust shall vade.

What wrong then is it, if that when they die,

They turne to that, whereof they first were made?

All in the powre of their great Maker lie:

All creatures must obey the voice of the most hie.

41
They liue, they die, like as he doth ordaine,

Ne euer any asketh reason why.

The hils doe not the lowly dales disdaine;

The dales doe not the lofty hils enuy.

He maketh Kings to sit in souerainty;

He maketh subiects to their powre obay;

He pulleth downe, he setteth vp on hy;

He giues to this, from that he takes away.

For all we haue is his: what he list doe, he may.

42
What euer thing is done, by him is donne,

Ne any may his mighty will withstand;

Ne any may his soueraine power shonne,

Ne loose that he hath bound with stedfast band.

In vaine therefore doest thou now take in hand,

To call to count, or weigh his workes anew,

Whose counsels depth thou canst not vnderstand,

Sith of things subiect to thy daily vew

Thou doest not know the causes, nor their courses dew.

43
For take thy ballaunce, if thou be so wise,

And weigh the winde, that vnder heauen doth blow;

Or weigh the light, that in the East doth rise;

Or weigh the thought, that from mans mind doth flow.

But if the weight of these thou canst not show,

Weigh but one word which from thy lips doth fall.

For how canst thou those greater secrets know,

That doest not know the least thing of them all?

Ill can he rule the great, that cannot reach the small.

44
Therewith the Gyant much abashed sayd;

That he of little things made reckoning light,

Yet the least word that euer could be layd

Within his ballaunce, he could way aright.

Which is (sayd he) more heauy then in weight,

The right or wrong, the false or else the trew?

He answered, that he would try it streight,

So he the words into his ballaunce threw,

But streight the winged words out of bis ballaunce flew.

45
Wroth wext he then, and sayd, that words were light,

Ne would within his ballaunce well abide.

But he could iustly weigh the wrong or right.

Well then, sayd
Artegall,
let it be tride.

First in one ballance set the true aside.

He did so first; and then the false he layd

In th'other scale; but still it downe did slide,

And by no meane could in the weight be stayd.

For by no meanes the false will with the truth be wayd.

46
Now take the right likewise, sayd
Artegale,

And counterpeise the same with so much wrong.

So first the right he put into one scale;

And then the Gyant stroue with puissance strong

To fill the other scale with so much wrong.

But all the wrongs that he therein could lay,

Might not it peise; yet did he labour long,

And swat, and chauf'd, and proued euery way:

Yet all the wrongs could not a litle right downe way.

47
Which when he saw, he greatly grew in rage,

And almost would his balances haue broken:

But
Artegall
him fairely gan asswage,

And said; be not vpon thy balance wroken:

For they doe nought but right or wrong betoken;

But in the mind the doome of right must bee;

And so likewise of words, the which be spoken,

The eare must be the ballance, to decree

And iudge, whether with truth or falshood they agree.

48
But set the truth and set the right aside,

For they with wrong or falshood will not fare;

And put two wrongs together to be tride,

Or else two falses, of each equall share;

And then together doe them both compare.

For truth is one, and right is euer one.

So did he, and then plaine it did appeare,

Whether of them the greater were attone.

But right sate in die middest of the beame alone.

49
But he the right from thence did thrust away,

For it was not the right, which he did seeke;

But rather stroue extremities to way,

Th'one to diminish, th'other for to eeke.

For of the meane he gready did misleeke.

Whom when so lewdly minded
Talus
found,

Approching nigh vnto him cheeke by cheeke,

He shouldered him from off the higher ground,

And down the rock him throwing, in the sea him dround.

50
Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest driues

Vpon a rocke with horrible dismay,

Her shattered ribs in thousand peeces riues,

And spoyling all her geares and goodly ray,

Does make her selfe misfortunes piteous pray.

So downe the clffe the wretched Gyant tumbled;

His battred ballances in peeces lay,

His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled,

So was the high aspyring with huge ruine humbled.

51
That when the people, which had there about

Long wayted, saw his sudden desolation,

They gan to gather in tumultuous rout,

And mutining, to stirre vp ciuill faction,

For certaine losse of so great expectation.

For well they hoped to haue got great good;

And wondrous riches by his innouation.

Therefore resoluing to reuenge his blood,

They rose in armes, and all in battell order stood.

52
Which lawlesse multitude him comming too

In warlike wise, when
Artegall
did vew,

He much was troubled, ne wist what to doo.

For loth he was his noble hands t'embrew

In the base blood of such a rascall crew;

And otherwise, if that he should retire,

He fear'd least they with shame would him pursew.

Therefore he
Talus
to them sent, t'inquire

The cause of their array, and truce for to desire.

53
But soone as they him nigh approching spide,

They gan with all their weapons him assay,

And rudely stroke at him on euery side:

Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay.

But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,

He like a swarme of flyes them ouerthrew;

Ne any of them durst come in his way,

But here and there before his presence flew,

And hid themselues in holes and bushes from his vew.

54
As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight

Flowne at a flush of Ducks, foreby the brooke,

The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull sight

Of death, the which them almost ouertooke,

Doe hide themselues from her astonying looke,

Amongst the flags and couert round about.

When
Talus
saw they all the field forsooke

And none appear'd of all that raskall rout,

To
Artegall
he turn'd, and went with him throughout.

The spousals of faire Florimell,
   where turney many knights:
There Braggadochio is vncas'd
   in all the Ladies sights.

1
After long stormes and tempests ouerblowne,

The sunne at length his ioyous face doth cleare:

So when as fortune all her spight hath showne,

Some blisfull houres at last must needes appeare;

Else should afflicted wights of times despeire.

So comes it now to
Florimell
by tourne,

After long sorrowes suffered whyleare,

In which captiu'd she many moneths did mourne,

To tast of ioy, and to wont pleasures to retourne.

2
Who being freed from
Proteus
cruell band

By
Marinell,
was vnto him affide,

And by him brought againe to Faerie land;

Where he her spous'd, and made his ioyous bride.

The time and place was blazed farre and wide;

And solemne feasts and giusts ordain'd therefore.

To which there did resort from euery side

Of Lords and Ladies infinite great store;

Ne any Knight was absent, that braue courage bore.

3
To tell the glorie of the feast that day,

The goodly seruice, the deuicefull sights,

The bridegromes state, the brides most rich aray,

The pride of Ladies, and the worth of knights,

The royall banquets, and the rare delights

Were worke fit for an Herauld, not for me:

But for so much as to my lot here lights,

That with this present treatise doth agree,

True vertue to aduance, shall here recounted bee.

4
When all men had with full satietie

Of meates and drinkes their appetites suffiz'd,

To deedes of armes and proofe of cheualrie

They gan themselues addresse, full rich aguiz'd,

As each one had his furnitures deuiz'd.

And first of all issu'd Sir
Marinell,

And with him sixe knights more, which enterpriz'd

To chalenge all in right of
Florimell,

And to maintaine, that she all others did excell.

5
The first of them was hight Sir
Orimont,

A noble Knight, and tride in hard assayes:

The second had to name Sir
Bellisont,

But second vnto none in prowesse prayse;

The third was
Brunell,
famous in his dayes;

The fourth
Ecastor,
of exceeding might;

The fift
Armeddan,
skild in louely layes;

The sixt was
Lansack,
a redoubted Knight:

All sixe well seene in armes, and prou'd in many a fight

6
And them against came all that list to giust,

From euery coast and countrie vnder sunne:

None was debard, but all had leaue that lust.

The trompets sound; then all together ronne.

Full many deedes of armes that day were donne,

And many knights vnhorst, and many wounded,

As fortune fell; yet litle lost or wonne:

But all that day the greatest prayse redounded

To
Marinell,
whose name the Heralds loud resounded.

7
The second day, so soone as morrow light

Appear'd in heauen, into the field they came,

And there all day continew'd cruell fight,

With diuers fortune fit for such a game,

In which all stroue with perill to winne fame.

Yet whether side was victor, note be ghest:

But at the last the trompets did prodame

That
Marinell
that day deserued best.

So they disparted were, and all men went to rest.

8
The third day came, that should due tryall lend

Of all the rest, and then this warlike crew

Together met, of all to make an end.

There
Marinell
great deeds of armes did shew;

And through the thickest like a Lyon flew,

Rashing off helmes, and ryuing plates a sonder,

That euery one his daunger did eschew.

So terribly his dreadfull strokes did thonder,

That all men stood amaz'd, & at his might did wonder.

9
But what on earth can alwayes happie stand?

The greater prowesse greater perils find.

So farre he past amongst his enemies band,

That they haue him enclosed so behind,

As by no meanes he can himselfe outwind.

And now perforce they haue him prisoner taken;

And now they doe with captiue bands him bind;

And now they lead him thence, of all forsaken,

Vnlesse some succour had in time him ouertaken.

10
It fortun'd whylest they were thus ill beset,

Sir
Artegall
into the Tilt-yard came,

With
Braggadochio,
whom he lately met

Vpon the way, with that his snowy Dame.

Where when he vnderstood by common fame,

What euill hap to
Marinell
betid,

He much was mou'd at so vnworthie shame,

And streight that boastet prayd, with whom he rid,

To change his shield with him, to be the better hid.

11
So forth he went, and soone them ouer hent,

Where they were leading
Marinell
away,

Whom he assayld with dreadlesse hardiment,

And forst the burden of their prize to stay.

They were an hundred knights of that array;

Of which th'one halfe vpon himselfe did set,

Th'other stayd behind to gard the pray.

But he ere long the former fiftie bet;

And from th'other fiftie soone the prisoner fet.

12
So backe he brought Sir
Marinell
againe;

Whom hauing quickly arm'd againe anew,

They both together ioyned might and maine,

To set afresh on all the other crew.

Whom with sore hauocke soone they ouerthrew,

And chaced quite out of the field, that none

Against them durst his head to perill shew:

So were they left Lords of the field alone:

So
Marinell
by him was rescu'd from his fone.

13
Which when he had perform'd, then backe againe

To
Braggadochio
did his shield restore:

Who all this while behind him did remaine,

Keeping there close with him in pretious store

That his false Ladie, as ye heard afore.

Then did the trompets sound, and Iudges rose,

And all these knights, which that day armour bore,

Came to the open hall, to listen whose

The honour of the prize should be adiudg'd by those.

14
And thether also came in open sight

Fayre
Florimell,
into the common hall,

To greet his guerdon vnto euery knight,

And best to him, to whom the best should fall.

Then for that stranger knight they loud did call,

To whom that day they should the girlond yield.

Who came not forth: but for Sir
Artegall

Came
Braggadochio,
and did shew his shield,

Which bore the Sunne brode blazed in a golden field.

15
The sight whereof did all with gladnesse fill:

So vnto him they did addeeme the prise

Of all that Tryumph. Then the trompets shrill

Don
Braggadochios
name resounded thrise:

So courage lent a cloke to cowardise.

And then to him came fayrest
Florimell,

And goodly gan to greet his braue emprise,

And thousand thankes him yeeld, that had so well

Approu'd that day, that she all others did excell.

16
To whom the boaster, that all knights did blot,

With proud disdaine did scornefull answere make;

That what he did that day, he did it not

For her, but for his owne deare Ladies sake,

Whom on his perill he did vndertake,

Both her and eke all others to excell:

And further did vncomely speaches crake.

Much did his words the gentle La die quell,

And turn'd aside for shame to heare, what he did tell.

17
Then forth he brought his snowy
Florimele,

Whom
Trompart
had in keeping there beside,

Couered from peoples gazement with a vele.

Whom when discouered they had throughly eide,

With great amazement they were stupefide;

And said, that surely
Florimell
it was,

Or if it were not
Florimell
so tride,

That
Florimell
her selfe she then did pas.

So feeble skill of perfect things the vulgar has.

18
Which when as
Marinell
beheld likewise,

He was therewith exceedingly dismayd;

Ne wist he what to thinke, or to deuise,

But like as one, whom feends had made affrayd,

He long astonisht stood, ne ought he sayd,

Ne ought he did, but with fast fixed eies

He gazed still vpon that snowy mayd;

Whom euer as he did the more auize,

The more to be true
Florimell
he did surmize.

19
As when two sunnes appeare in the azure skye,

Mounted in
Phoebus
charet fierie bright,

Both darting forth faire beames to each mans eye,

And both adorn'd with lampes of flaming light,

All that behold so strange prodigious sight,

Not knowing natures worke, nor what to weene,

Are rapt with wonder, and with rare affright.

So stood Sir
Marinell,
when he had seene

The semblant of this false by his faire beauties Queene.

20
All which when
Artegall,
who all this while

Stood in the preasse close couered, well aduewed,

And saw that boasters pride and gracelesse guile,

He could no longer beare, but forth issewed,

And vnto all himselfe there open shewed,

And to the boaster said; Thou losell base,

That hast with borrowed plumes thyselfe endewed,

And others worth with leasings doest deface,

When they are all restor'd, thou shalt rest in disgrace.

21
That shield, which thou doest beare, was it indeed,

Which this dayes honour sau'd to
Marinell;

But not that arme, nor thou the man I reed,

Which didst that seruice vnto
Florimell.

For proofe shew forth thy sword, and let it tell,

What strokes, what dreadfull stoure it stird this day:

Or shew the wounds, which vnto thee befell;

Or shew the sweat, with which thou diddest sway

So sharpe a battell, that so many did dismay.

22
But this the sword, which wrought those cruell stounds,

And this the arme, the which that shield did beare,

And these the signes, (so shewed forth his wounds)

By which that glorie gotten doth appeare.

As for this Ladie, which he sheweth here,

Is not (I wager)
Florimell
at all;

But some fayre Franion, fit for such a fere,

That by misfortune in his hand did fall.

For proofe whereof, he bad them
Florimell
forth call.

23
So forth the noble Ladie was ybrought,

Adorn'd with honor and all comely grace:

Whereto her bashfull shamefastnesse ywrought

A great increase in her faire blushing face;

As roses did with lillies interlace.

For of those words, the which that boaster threw,

She inly yet concerned great disgrace.

Whom when as all the people such did vew,

They shouted loud, and signes of gladnesse all did shew.

24
Then did he set her by that snowy one,

Like the true saint beside the image set,

Of both their beauties to make paragone,

And triall, whether should the honor get.

Streightway so soone as both together met,

Th'enchaunted Damzell vanisht into nought:

Her snowy substance melted as with heat,

Ne of that goodly hew remayned ought,

But th'emptie girdle, which about her wast was wrought.

25
As when the daughter of
Thaumantes
faire,

Hath in a watry cloud displayed wide

Her goodly bow, which paints the liquid ayre;

That all men wonder at her colours pride;

All suddenly, ere one can looke aside,

The glorious picture vanisheth away,

Ne any token doth thereof abide:

So did this Ladies goodly forme decay,

And into nothing goe, ere one could it bewray.

26
Which when as all that present were, beheld,

They stricken were with great astonishment,

And their faint harts with senselesse horrour queld,

To see the thing, that seem'd so excellent,

So stolen from their fancies wonderment;

That what of it became, none vnderstood.

And
Braggadochio
selfe with dreriment

So daunted was in his despeyring mood,

That like a lifelesse corse immoueable he stood.

27
But
Artegall
that golden belt vptooke,

The which of all her spoyle was onely left;

Which was not hers, as many it mistooke,

But
Florimells
owne girdle, from her reft,

While she was flying, like a weary weft,

From that foule monster, which did her compell

To perils great; which he vnbuckling eft,

Presented to the fayrcst
Florimell;

Who round about her tender wast it fitted well.

28
Full many Ladies often had assayd,

About their middles that faire belt to knit;